Ricochet
by Stumpycat2002
Summary: [GSR] Barrels in a steal walled room with nothing but a flash light and a job to do.
1. Chapter 1

**Ricochet**

**Author**: Stumpycat

**Rating**: Pg

**Category**: General/Angst

**Spoilers**: Before the Shift Spilt up.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

**Summary**: GSR Barrels in a steal walled room with nothing but a flash light and a job to do.

**Notes**: Thanks to everyone who has sent reviews to my previous story and this one is dedicated to my best friend moggie

* * *

Chapter 1

The Break Room

Nick, Warrick, Catherine and Sara were in the break room. Sara was getting herself and Warrick a coffee when Grissom came in with the assignments.

"Hey Griss. What have you got for us?" asked Nick before drinking his rather cold coffee.

"Nice to see you so infused with your work Nick." commented Grissom. "I have them right here." He waved the slips. "Nick and Cath; you have a breaking entering at the Tangiers. Warrick and Sara; you get a 419 at an old warehouse out on I-15. Brass will meet you there."

"What are you gonna be doing?" Catherine asked.

"Well Cath, I'm going to be doing paperwork. If you guys have any queries at all, don't hesitate to call me."

"Ok Griss." said Catherine.

Leaving with their partners for the night to collect coats and kits, they went their separate ways.

"Hey. I'm Driving" Called Sara.

"Yeah, figure that." Scoffed Warrick with a laugh.

"Hey! I'm a good driver."

"Yeah, if you're a rally driver."

While driving to their destination, Sara's phone rang. She listened to Brass as she looked out the window.

"I'm held up at HQ. I'll be with you as soon as I can get away."

"Ok Brass. There should be someone there anyway."

"Just announce yourself and flash your snazzy badge."

Sara grinned. "Ok."

"Be careful Sara. I'll be there soon."

"Ok Brass. I hear you."

"Bye."

"That was the big brass badge." Sara smirked. "He's running late."

Warrick chuckled. "Now why am I not surprised."

Crime Scene Location

They pulled up to the warehouse and searched for the cops. They were waiting for them.

"CSI Sidle and Brown." Warrick made introductions. "We're here about the 4 19."

"Yah, he's through there. You won't miss the smell I tell yah." The office drawled with a slight Texan accent. His spit and polished boots and perfectly ironed uniform gave away two options. He was married and his wife or he lived alone and loved his job.

"The scene secure?" asked Warrick.

"Yah. My partner and I went everywhere I tell yah. I'll radio in an update."

Moving into the large grey building, Sara and Warrick let investigator mode take over. It wasn't long before they came across the dead body, which was, by now, rather decomposed and had long started to smell.

"So Sara, how's things with you now? After that break you had?" Warrick initiated a conversation as they started to catalogue and collect.

"I tell you Warrick, I never felt so good in years. I needed it."

"Well, Grissom was worried about you. I've never seen him so worried. Not in a long time. You know, Sara, he might not show it, but he does care."

Sara sighed. "Yeah. I know Warrick." Checking she had what she could find on her side of the body, she stood. "I'm gonna look around a bit. Be back soon."

Warrick looked up briefly to see which direction she was going. "Watch your back Sara. I don't want Jim Brass breathing down my neck if something happened to you."

Sara rolled her eyes as she walked away. "Yes Dad. I will."

Entering a room surrounded by the cover of darkness, Sara shone her flash light and picked out large steel barrels lining the walls here and there. A pile of crates were resting about eight metres away.

Setting her field kit on the floor at her feet, she took four steps forward with her flash light guiding the way. Before she stepped forward another four, she heard a noise. It sounded like feet scuffing concrete.

She turned around when she realised the sound was coming from behind, expecting Warrick and a teasing grin about to play a prank. Seeing a figure first, then a gun she panicked, which made the intruder panic and shoot off a few rounds.

Sara tried to duck and find cover, but there was no where to go. The room was packed with barrels. The bullets were ricocheting around the room, hitting the concrete floor and throwing up bits and dust. A few hit the stack of wooden crates, sending out splintered wood.

The final few rounds hit the barrels close to Sara where she was trying to curl away and be invisible, for there was no other place to go. She felt a sharp pain, but didn't move. Another sharp pain hit when the last bullet hit the barrel right next to her and ricocheted off, grazing her forehead. She collapsed where she was.

Warrick was still with the dead body when he suddenly thought about the time and about . Hearing gunshots, he sprang to his feet. A minute later he heard the radio of the on scene cop as he ran by.

"My ETA five minutes." Brass' voice crackled.

Warrick left his kit, the evidence and the body to chase after the cop. He grabbed his cell and punched in Brass' number. "Something's wrong." He grunted into the receiver.

"Where's Sara?" asked Brass.

"I don't know." Warrick hung up and slowed down when he reached the officer. Both officer and investigator listened and clicked on their flash lights to shine into the room they stood in. "Sara?"

Warrick walked further in as the officer pulled out his gun. Warrick unfastened his own weapon and clasped it in readiness. Shining the flash light on the floor, he found feet. Sara's feet.

On the floor lay Sara, blood seeping from her forehead.

"Sara," Warrick hurriedly went to her. "Can you hear me? Please God, please be alright." He prayed as he tried to move her. She moaned in pain and he cracked a relieved smile. "That's a girl. Stay with me Sara."

"Sara! Warrick!" Brass yelled through the building, breathing hard when he entered the room.

"We need the ambulance here now. It's Sara." Warrick called to the detective.

Brass quickly raised his radio to his mouth. "This is a code 444. Office down. Repeat. Officer down. In need of assistance. Send ambulance immediately to---"

Warrick gathered Sara into his arms and hastily dabbed at the blood. "You're gonna be just fine Sara."

"Oh Sara." Brass whispered, shaking his head. "I told you to watch your back." His face contorted in emotional pain at the sight of her.

"She's gonna pull through Brass. She's tough." Warrick assured him.

The sirens of both ambulance and police back up were soon heard over the echo of the steal walls.

"She'll be in good hands Rick. They'll take care of her." Brass nodded, believing his own words.

Warrick gasped in horror when the EMT's lifted Sara straight onto a stretcher and started to wheel her out of the building. "Oh my God! What about Grissom? He needs to know."

"You go with Sara." Brass told him. "And I'll see you there."

"Ok. Lets go." said Warrick, shakily getting to his feet.

Brass pressed speed dial and waited a few minutes before hearing his best friends voice.

"Grissom."

Taking a deep, unsteady breath, he told him. "Gil, it's Jim. Meet me at Desert Palm Hospital. It's Sara. … She's hurt."

...TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

After Brass had told Grissom, Grissom had grabbed his jacket and keys on his way out the door. He was in such a rush and a daze that he ran into Nick and Catherine coming back from their crime scene.

Nick couldn't help himself. "Hey Griss, where's the fire?"

Grissom stopped and turned around, his eyed glazed with fire. "After you're done with your paperwork Nick, meet me at Desert Palm."

"Sure, I can do that." Nick nodded, concerned.

"And Catherine, can you please drive? I'm a bit edgy." Grissom held out a shaking hand.

Taking the keys from him, Catherine pushed him out the door and into his car as soon as they reached it. Once on the road, she needled him. "Are you gonna tell me what's going on or do I have to guess?"

Pulling on his seatbelt, he glanced as her for a silent moment, a little unsettled that she was driving his Mercedes faster than the speed limit. Taking a deep breath, he said really slowly. "I had a phone call from Jim. He told me to meet him and Warrick at Desert Palm. He said Sara was hurt. So I dropped what I was doing and that's how I came to running into you and Nick."

"Gil, you do realize you didn't tell Nick? You know how close they are."

He sighed. "I know Cath. That's why I didn't say anything yet. I know their relationship is like brother and sister. I had to leave one of us at the lab."

Desert Palm

"Jim, how is?" asked Catherine.

"We don't know yet. She's still in the O.R." He rubbed the sweat from his face with a sleeve. "It doesn't look good I tell you. We couldn't stop the bleeding from her forehead."

"What the hell happened?" Grissom questioned, getting angry and frustrated. "I thought you were there to meet them."

"I was, but got held up at head quarters. I informed Sara and there was an officer present. The officer updated me on their arrival. I tried to call Sara about forty minutes later, but it just rang."

"Where is Warrick?" asked Catherine, worried that he was hurt too.

"He went to get coffee to calm down. He will be here soon." Brass told her.

"Excuse me?" Called a nightshift nurse. "My name is Mindy. Are you with Sara Sidle?"

"Yes. Yes we are." Catherine answered. "Do you have any information for us? Is she ok?"

Mindy nodded. "She's in good hands. She has a really good surgeon working on her. His name is Mike Shepard. He'll be out as soon as he can."

"Thank you." Catherine sighed, smiling away the tension.

Mindy held up a clipboard. "Umm, is there anyone here who can fill this out for Sara?"

"I'll do that." Grissom offered, taking the clipboard and bic pen.

"Thank you."

They waited and waited. Around two hours later, the surgeon, Dr. Shepard, came through the double doors are the other end of the waiting area and approached them.

"With Miss Sidle?" He asked, tiredness evident on his face and in his eyes, but alert non the less.

They are stood and spoke at the same time. "Can we see her?"

"How is she? Can we see her?"

Dr. Shepard held out his hand. "Please, one at a time. Sara is in bad shape at the moment. There were a few bullets lodged in her. We were lucky to get them out without further damage. We gave her some more blood for what she lost, but the one thing that has us worried is the fluid on the brain."

"Will she be ok?" Grissom asked.

"We won't know for the next 24 hours or so. You can see her, but one at a time." Dr Shepard allowed.

"Thank you Doctor. You have helped a special person, that means a lot to all of us." Brass confessed, sighing with relief at the good news.

Warrick turned to the others. "I want go in. I found her. I need to know that she's ok."

"Sure Warrick. You can go, but not long ok?" said Grissom, with a hint of worry in his voice.

Sara's Room

"Oh my God Sara. I'm so sorry. I should have been with you. I shouldn't have let you go off by yourself." He took her hand gently. "You're going to be all right Sara. I know you are. You're a fighter, you always are. That's one thing I always liked about you." He smiled sadly. "Nick is gonna be here soon. The others are outside."

Standing in silence for a few minutes, he moved towards the window to collect himself. He heard the door open and turned to see Catherine.

"Can we come in? Grissom's a but antsy. You know how he is when it comes to Sara."

"Yeah." He wiped his eyes. "I know."

Before either moved, a sound coming from the bed caught their attention. Catherine was at Sara's side in seconds. "Sara? Sara, can you hear me? It's Catherine. I'm here with Warrick."

Warrick stood on one side while Catherine stood on the other, both peering down at Sara with worried eyes as they watched Sara's eyes open.

"Hey." Catherine whispered.

Sara's voice was raspy. "Who are you?"

...TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Who are you?"

"Sara, its me, Warrick."

"Ahhh my head hurts."

"Hang on Sara. I'll get a nurse. Maybe she can give you something for the pain." said Warrick, but it was no use, Sara fell back into sleep.

"It's going to be ok Warrick." Catherine soothed, moving to stand next to him so she could put her hand on his shoulder. "She's gone through a something bad. Give her some time, ok?"

"Thanks Cath. I wouldn't know what to do if you weren't here." He smiled at her. "We better go and find the nurse. Sara woke up, that's gotta be good."

Waiting Area

"What the hell is taking them so long?" Fumed Grissom. "They said five minutes. It's gone fifteen."

"Fancy that Gil, you've been watching your watch conditionally for the past fifteen minutes" Jabbed Brass.

"It's not funny Jim. This is Sara we're talking about. Why don't you go back to the Crime Scene were Sara was shot and find the person who did this, instead of telling me to calm down, ok?!"

"For your information, I have. Vartan and Nick are on it. I care about Sara just as much as you do, so do us a favour and go and get a coffee to calm down. I'll find you if there is anything you should know-"

But the moment Brass finished, Warrick came through the doors with Catherine. Catherine headed for the nurses station.

"Well, what took you so long?" asked Grissom. "The doctor said five minutes, but you took longer."

"It's Sara, she's awake."

"Good. That's good, right?" Brass asked.

"I don't know. The moment she saw me, she asked who I was." said Warrick. "So Catherine has gone to get a nurse or a doctor to go and check her out."

Waiting for Catherine to get back to them, Grissom asked her first the minute she returned. "Well Cath? What's the prognosis?"

"Dr. Shepard is in there now." Catherine informed them. "She's going to be ok Gil. Just have a little faith ok?"

Grissom say down heavily. "Thanks."

"No Probs. How about I get us some real coffee from across the road at Starbucks. Warrick can you give me a hand?"

"Sure, why not. Be right back guys."

There was silence again. both Brass and Grissom sat in the waiting area for ten minutes before the Doctor pushed through the double doors.

"Mr Grissom?" Dr. Shepard asked.

"Yes." Grissom stood.

The Doctor sighed. "I won't sugar coat this. I'm going to give you a straight answer. The prognosis of Sara's condition isn't good I'm afraid. Sara has sustained a severe injury to the head."

Grissom's legs became week and he sank back down to his seat. "Oh God." He looked back up at the Doctor. "Is she going to be alright?"

Dr. Shepard took a deep breath. "That's the thing I'm trying to explain to you. With the head injury, she has lost her memory. She might not know you at all. Any of you or her life as you see it. Further tests will confirm the excess of the damage done."

"Christ." Grissom whispered, rubbing his face, trying not to show the stinging in his eyes. Taking a moment, he looked up. "Can I see her? Please?"

"You can, but only for a short while."

"Thank you Dr. Shepard." Brass shook the mans hand. He turned to his friend and gave him a supportive smile. "Hey, I'll wait here for the other and I'll call in for and update on the case. Give you a few minutes, ok?"

"Thanks Jim."

Grissom followed the Doctor through the double doors and down the corridor to Sara's room.

"Ok Mr Grissom." The Doctor turned as he opened the door. "Only five minutes."

"Thank you again Doctor."

...TBC...


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Before Grissom walked through the door he stopped, with his hand was on the handle, frozen. He got a fright when the door opened suddenly.

"Oh I'm sorry." said a nurse from night staff.

"It's ok." said Grissom. "How is she?" He nodded towards Sara.

"I'll be honest with you, its not going to be easy. Sara has had a major knock to the head and with fluid around the brain…" She shook her head in wonder. "but with Sara? Its amazing that she didn't come out with something other than memory loss." She placed a supportive hand on his arm. "You have to bare with her and let the memory come back on its own accord, without any help."

Grissom nodded slowly. "I'll keep that in mind and, I'll tell that to my friends too." With that, Grissom walked into the room and approached the hospital bed cautiously. When he reached her side, he cradled Sara's hand in his own, trying very hard not to look at the monitors and wires helping to keep the woman in the bed alive.

" Oh Sara." He whispered, looking at her from head to toe.

Starbucks

Meanwhile, Brass was reminiscing when and how Sara came into their lives. But when he started to laugh, Catherine and Warrick looked at him funny.

"Hey man, what's so funny?" asked Warrick. "This isn't funny. Sara is in there, fighting for her life, and you sitting there laughing?"

"I was just remembering when I came across Sara." Brass told them. "It was during the Holly Gribbs case. You remember? Catherine, you had your nose out of joint because she took over from were Holly left off and you tried to make it unbearable for her? But she stuck out?"

"Yeah. That she did." commented Warrick. "But the ones that really got close to her was Grissom and Nick."

"What are you on about? We all did." snorted Brass. "We all became a family, whether we wanted to or not. Its funny how when Sara came into our lives, as if she just fitted in like she was there all along. She knows what we think even before we do."

"Man, she's like Grissom everyday." Chuckled Warrick.

"That's what's so funny." said Brass with tears in his eyes.

"She's gonna be ok Jim. We'll be here for her when she's going through the tough stages." said Catherine. "My God! Where is she gonna stay? She can't be on her own. We could take turns, you know?" she panicked.

Hospital - Sara's Room

Grissom was holding Sara's hand and talking to her in a soft voice when she woke up. He leaned forward and offered her a warm smile. "Hey. How're you feeling?"

"My head hurts." She whispered groggily. After a moment to get her bearings, her eyes snapped open and focused on Grissom. "Do I know you?"

Grissom was silent for a time, letting her remember in her own time, not pushing her like the nurse suggested.

She winced at the pain in her head and mumbled. "You look familiar, like I've seen you before."

"It's ok. It'll come to you in time. It all will." Grissom smiled comfortingly. "Just get better ok?"

Sara was still staring at him through hooded eyes. "That's where I've seen you before. It's the voice. I know that voice." She tried to put the pieces of her memory back together, but it was slow going. "Yeah, you were one of my professors in Harvard. I just can't remember what studies…" She sighed tiredly. "I'm sorry." Her voice was getting quieter as sleep began to take her away again. "I'm tired." She said on a mumble.

Keeping his hold on her hand, his smile faded a little. "Then go back to sleep. You have friends here. We'll be here when you wake up." When she was sleeping again, Grissom reached up his free hand and quickly wiped his eyes.

...TBC...


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

While Sara was sleeping, Grissom was remembering when and how they first meet at Harvard. He was smiling because Sara was one of his top line students. He knew she was going to get somewhere in life, and now look at her… she doesn't even know her name or what she does for a living.

"How can you tell a person she's not in school? That she's into Forensics? Thanks to me? Oh God Sara. How do I tell you?"

"Tell me what?" asked a groggy voice.

"Sara. You're awake."

"Yeah. And this headache is killing me I tell yah."

Grissom pushed to stand up. "Do you want me to get the nurse?"

She ever so slightly shook her head, trying not to make it pound any louder. "No, no I'll be fine. If I don't move." She opened her eyes to look at him. "So, you're still here… I mean, I must be one good student, uhh, for you to be here." She cringed, trying to speak, but not making any sense. Must be the drugs. "Why aren't you in class or something, instead of being here?"

Leaning forward, he looked at her. "Sara, what exactly do you remember?"

Thinking for a few minutes, she opened her eyes wide, but closed them again. "Umm, being in your Physics class-"

Grissom shook his head slowly. "No honey, that was Forensics. That was 10 years ago." He watched her look up at him with hooded eyes.

"What?" She whispered, confused. "How-" But no more words came as the strong painkillers took affect once more.

A knock at the door caught Grissom's attention.

"Can we come in?" asked Catherine.

"Sure." said Grissom.

"We thought you might like some coffee, here." She held out a plastic Starbucks cup.

"Thanks Cath. I really needed one."

"So, how she doing Gil?" asked Brass.

"I'm guessing, she's lost around 10 years of memory. She doesn't know what she does for a living, and from what I can tell, she doesn't know me. I'm going to hazard a guess that she's not going to remember any of you either. She thinks she's in Harvard still. But that was over 10 years ago!" Grissom stood, frustrated and angry.

"Easy Gil. You have to remember Sara took a hard knock. It'll come back to her." Jim calmly said.

"Yeah, I have to agree there." said Warrick. "The brain can do some weird things. Just give her time to adjust and we'll be here to help her in any way we can."

"Thanks guys." Grissom sighed, rubbing his eyes under his glasses. "Have you heard from Nick?"

"Yeah, about 20 minutes ago. He and Vartan were at the warehouse."

"Any leads yet?"

"Nope, but they're trying Gil, and you know it." said Catherine, making sure Grissom knew they were working on the case. "Nick's gonna stop by later to see Sara. You know how close they have been over the years."

"I do no that Catherine." Grissom snapped irritably.

"Look Gil, we are all shook up about this, so why don't you go home, get some sleep, and what ever you do to relax, and come back later? Because she will be in and out of consciousness all day. One of us will be here for her so she won't be alone." suggested Brass.

Grissom looked over to Sara, watching her sleep. "I think you're right. If there's any change, what so ever, please call me. I still have my phone on." Not too worried about the three in the room, and knowing they were more than just co-workers, he walked towards the bed and leaned down to place a kiss on Sara's forehead. "I'll be back later honey. Just sleep and get better."

As Grissom left the room, Warrick, Catherine and Brass exchanged both concerned and surprised looks, but noticed Grissom's head held high and a nervousness he usually had around Sara, was gone.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

****

Chapter 6

****

Hospital

While Grissom was gone, Catherine and Brass made themselves comfortable. In the silence of the room, a shrill, though quiet, broke the tranquil atmosphere. Brass and Catherine both reached for their phones. "It's mine." Brass let her know before standing. "I'll be right back, ok?"

"Sure, no worries." said Catherine.

Stepping into the corridor, he flipped his cell open. "Brass."

"It's Nick. We ran some prints we collected from the doorframe through the database and just got a hit on CODIS."

"Name?"

"Michael Holt. His rap sheet is a mile long. Stretches from car theft, armed robbery, illegal dealings and, attempted murder a few years back. He got out of the joint two months ago."

Brass looked down the corridor to the nurses station when he heard a nurse clear her throat. "Where is he Nick? Did you get his latest address?" asked Brass, getting a hard glare from the head nurse.

"Hang on, I'm getting that now." He was quiet for a few seconds and the sound of the printer and paper rustling was that Brass could hear. "Okay, I've got it. The address is Fairfield Apartments. Room 26. 1st floor."

Brass jotted down the information into his notepad. "Thanks Nick. I'm on it."

Nick sighed with relief. He hadn't been able to get away from the lab to see Sara yet and he was hoping not to be the one to go after their suspect. "Good. Tell Cath I'm on my way to see Sara ok?"

"Ok Nick."

Cutting the connection, Brass immediately hit speed dial. Turning his back on the angry nurse, he waited for an answer.

"Grissom."

"Gil, it's Jim." Before Brass could say anything, Grissom's worried voice interrupted.

"It's Sara, isn't it?"

Brass chuckled. "No Gil. It's not Sara. She was still sleeping when I left a few minutes ago. Don't panic ok? She's not alone. Cath is sitting with her. Warrick should be back with food and coffee soon." Hearing footsteps that were more than likely from the nurse, Brass quickly filled Grissom in. "I called because I just got a call from Nick. He got a hot of CODIS. Got and address… though you might like to tag along for the ride."

Grissom's harsh breath sounded his anger. "You don't need to ask. I want to see what that bastard looks like-"

"Now Gil-" Brass tried.

"Don't got there Jim. I'm not in the mood. The moment we get him and he's put away, I can be right back at the hospital for Sara."

"Ok." Brass sighed. "I'll be there to pick you up in ten minutes."

"Thanks Jim. I'll be ready."

****

Sara's room

"Hey guys." asked Nick when he walked into the room. The door was open and he could see Catherine and Warrick sitting by the window talking. "How is she?"

Warrick looked up and Catherine offered a smile. "Hey bud. How you doin?" asked Warrick.

"Been better." Nick looked at Sara's sleeping form. "I didn't find out about Sara till I was at the scene. Guess Grissom thought I'd want to be on the case."

Catherine nodded. "He did."

Nick smiled sadly. "Yeah." He walked over to the bed and gave Sara a brotherly kiss on the cheek. "I had to do this for Sara. Hey sis, how're you holding up?"

"It's no use Nick. They gave her a shot before you arrived, and she's been out ever since." said Catherine.

"Where's Brass at?" asked Warrick, only knowing that the detective had to leave.

"Oh, he's gone to talk to a suspect." Nick informed them. "I hope it's him. Brass and Grissom were going to have a little talk with him." He took Sara's hand and sat down. "Let's hope Brass has a leash on Grissom, because one he gets a hold of the guy who did this, he probably won't be alive to see another next day."

"Yeah, I hear yah." said Warrick.

****

Suspects Residents

Brass approached the door with his hand on his gun holster. "This is it Gil. You stay behind me. Get your gun out if you have it. Other than that, follow my lead. I'm serious Gil." He pinned Grissom with a stare.

Grissom sighed, but nodded. He unclipped his gun and lowered it to his side, waiting behind Brass.

The next few minutes were sequenced.

Brass knocked on room 26. After getting no answer, he called out. "Mr. Holt! Open up! This is the Las Vegas Police Department. We have some questions!" When nothing came, Brass reached for the door handle to test if it was unlocked. Rattling the handle got a reaction. Gun shots fired through the door, missing Brass and Grissom by inches. Both dove for cover.

TBC


End file.
